Stretching frame



27,1929 H. N. ALLEN El AL STRETCHING FRAME Filed April 22, 1927 [416W V NVENTORS B 1513 C. 7

A'Fr EY Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

unirsnsrarss PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY n. ALLEN AND s'rnn'woon o. I'ITMAN, or nnnvnns; MASSACHUSETTS.

STRETGI-IING FRAME.

Application filed April 22, 1927. Serial No. 185,765.

Our invention relates to stretching and treating of hides.

The object of our invention is the production of a machine that is simple and inexpensive and will stretch the hides equally throughout its length and width.

Another object of our invention is the production of a machine upon which the hides may be left to dry after the stretching is done, thereby eliminating the operation of burying the hides in sawdust.

Another object of our invention is to produce a machine that will stretch the hides to such a degree, that the leather will not 16 crack when the shoe is worn.

The invention will be hereinafter considered in detail and specifically claimed. Reference will now be had to the drawing forming a part of this application, wherein 20 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, but it is understood that the elements thereof can be varied or changed as for shape, size, or form without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine with a hide in place ready to be stretched.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine shown in one corner of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a modification of the invention showing a difierent method for the boards to slide and to be kept in place after the stretching is complete.

' Fig. 4 is a section on line 4L4.

In our invention:

At 10 and 11 there is one set of boards, and at 12 and 13 there is another set of boards. The boards 12 and 13 are placed upon the boards 10 and 11 and perpendicular to them. The boards 11 and 12 are provided at their ends with posts 14 and 15 to which there are solidly connected the bars 16. The ends of the boards 12 and 13 are free to slide between the boards 10 and 11 and bars 16. All the boards are provided with hooks 17, to which there is detachably connected chains 18. The length of the chains may be varied by the use of the proper link in the chain. One end of the chain is provided with toggles or clasps 19, which take hold or grasp the hide at the desired places.

Each pair of boards is provided with a long iron rod and 21 which passes through the boards. One end of the rods has a left hand thread and the other end a right hand thread. A rectangular piece of metal 22 is mounted on each end of the rods, to which there is connected by suitable means hooks 23. A chain 24: is solidly connected to each board and also passes through the hooks 23.

The boards 10 and 11 are provided with holes 10 and 11 into which pins 15 may be inserted for maintaining the boards in a definite position.

The operation of the machine will now be described.

The boards are set to leave an opening, approximately the size of the hide. The toggles are then applied to the hide at the desired places. The two rods are then turned by means of handles 27. Due to the fact that each rod is provided with a left hand thread on one end and a right hand thread on the other, the boards which are controlled by these rods will move in opposite direction, thereby stretchingthe hides. It often happens that the hides are not of equal strength or thickness throughout, with the result that certain portions would be sub jected to greater strain than others. To remedy that, the chains 24 are free to move about in their hooks, with the result that they will have a tendency to equalize the strain on the different parts of the hide.

In Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a modification of the ends of the boards.

The ends of the boards are provided with openings or channels 30, through which there is passed a pin 31 threaded at one end and provided with a nut 32. When the hide is ready tobe stretched, the nut is moved so that the boards will be free to move in any direction desired. When the stretching is completed, the nut is tightened, so that the boards are held in their extended position during the duration of their drying.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, means for stretching hides, consisting of two pair of boards, one pair superimposed upon the other, means to force each pair of boards apart or draw them together, consisting of rods having left handed and right handed threads on their ends, rectangular pieces of metal threaded on each end of the rods carrying hooks, chains slidably connected to the said pieces of metal and solidly connected other and away from each other and means to the boards, and means for keeping the to equalize the strain on each pair of op- 10 boards in a certain definite position. posite sides of the hides and means to keep 2. In a machine of the class described, the boards in a fixed position after the hides 5 means for stretching hides, consisting of two have been stretched.

pair of boards slidably connected to each other, said stretching means including means HENRY N. ALLEN.

to move each pair of boards toward each STANWOOD C. PITMAN. 

